Global Rivalries

Russia is quietly taking over security roles once dominated by the United States and Europe in Africa. Instead of sending official troops, Moscow relies on hired fighters, proxy militias, and security contractors to protect leaders, fight rebels, and train armies. The payoff is political influence, access to natural resources, and loyal partners in global diplomacy. For many African leaders, this is an attractive bargain. For Western powers, it r...

The Arab League, made up of 22 Arab countries, was created in 1945 to promote unity, peace, and cooperation across the Arab world. Nearly eight decades later, the organization continues to play a role in regional and global politics, despite deep internal divisions that often limit its power.   From conflict mediation to diplomatic statements, the Arab League remains influential, though its effectiveness is frequently questioned. Here&rsqu...

The United States has taken bold action in the Pacific. The Trump administration has sanctioned two leaders from Palau and the Marshall Islands. The move comes amid rising fears about China’s growing influence in the region.   The US Department of State announced that Hokkons Baules, President of the Senate in Palau, and Anderson Jibas, a former mayor in the Marshall Islands, are now banned from entering the US. Their immediate famil...

China rules the rare earth market because it was willing to take on the pollution that others refused. For years, Western countries enjoyed clean energy dreams powered by Chinese processing plants that quietly handled the toxic side of the green transition. Now the world is scrambling to fix a problem it helped create.   How China Took Over In the 1980s, the United States supplied most of the world’s rare earths from the Mountain Pa...

The latest US National Security Strategy may signal a major shift in Washington’s view of Europe. Published on December 4, the document marks a break from decades of policy that placed Europe at the center of US global strategy.   Instead of treating Europe as a strategic anchor, the strategy reflects a narrower focus on American national interests, strategic restraint, and a reduced willingness to shoulder what Washington sees as un...